


A Hint of Fruit and Nut

by Michael_Ackart



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Awkwardness, Cuddling, M/M, Post-War, wine tasting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-10 17:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5594764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Michael_Ackart/pseuds/Michael_Ackart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's a few years after the war and Kaidan's mom has invited her son and John to the vineyard for a wine tasting with the rest of the family</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Hint of Fruit and Nut

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bagog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bagog/gifts).



> Last month I did a small fic giveaway on tumblr and bagog was one of the winners! You've been a good friend to me and I'm happy I was able to write a little something for you. I hope you enjoy ^_^

“You sure you can’t stay for a while?” Kaidan asked from his seat on the shuttle. He adjusted himself on the rather uncomfortable chair, careful not to jostle the head resting on his shoulder. It’d be time to get up and stretch his legs soon.

“As much as I’d like to hang out some more, I gotta get back to Vancouver,” Cortez said. “I’ll never hear the end of it from James if I’m late.”

Shepard chuckled and finally sat up. His original intention had been to nap against Kaidan but the ache in his leg bothered him too much to rest comfortably. “You guys have a moon mission, yeah?”

“More of an errand run but yes.”

Kaidan’s eyes darted up worriedly when Shepard pulled himself to stand. “You alright, John?”

“Yeah,” Shepard waved him off. “Leg’s just being annoying.”

“Did you take your pill?”

“No, I’m gonna wait til dinner to start these meds. It’s fine, Kay, really. Just want to walk it out.”

“Just a few more minutes, boys,” Cortez announced. “Everything okay back there?”

“Yeah, just overworked my leg. I, uh, kept it bent too far for a little too long.”

The lieutenant chuckled. “Was it at least worth it?”

Kaidan took that opportunity to get up and do a few small stretches. John’s bright blue eyes appreciated the sight. “Oh yeah. Doc gave me some pills to take for pain and swelling.”

The shuttle began its descent and the couple returned to their seats. “I’ve been looking forward to this,” Kaidan murmured.

“I know, me too. I like your mom. Though all your family’s gonna be there, huh?”

“A lot of them but you met some at the wedding. It’ll be fine. We could use a vacation.”

“That's an understatement,” Cortez added.

For a little more than a week, they were staying at the vineyard Kaidan’s mom and his aunt ran together. It wasn’t far from their home in Vancouver, only about an hour in Cortez’s shuttle. Tomorrow was the first time since the war that it would actually be open and they decided to celebrate with a huge wine tasting. All of Kaidan’s family was invited, though how many were able to make it he was unsure. John was nervous about being around so many people and he hoped they didn’t fawn over him like some sort of spectacle. It was true some came to their wedding but that had been a small affair.

The shuttle touched down on the ground and Cortez unlocked the door. Sunlight poured in and John couldn’t wait to stand outside and soak it up. But first he had to grab their bags and-

“We got it,” Kaidan said to him and Shepard pouted. “Don’t be a baby. Steve and I have them.”

He huffed but didn’t argue, watching the other two men grab the suitcases. John was the first one out and he carefully stepped out. He glanced in the direction of the house and already saw Kaidan’s mom rushing towards them. He found himself smiling, this was the closest feeling to having a mom of his own.

“My boys are finally here!” she exclaimed and she wrapped her arms around John first.

“Good to see you, Evelyn,” he said.

Kaidan jumped out of the shuttle with Steve right behind. “Hi, mom!”

She hurried them all in and Kaidan and Cortez went to drop the suitcases off in the couple’s room. Shepard looked around. There was no one in the living room at the moment but he could hear chatter echoing off the walls.

“Is the rest of the family here?”

“Yep! You two are the last arrivals so the gang’s all here now.”

“I’m sorry about that. My doctor’s app-”

“Hush, you. No need to apologize. How’s your leg anyways? Kaidan said you hurt it hiking.”

“Ah…yeah. He just gave me a week’s worth of medication to help with pain and swelling. I have a bad habit of overexerting myself.”

“So I’ve heard, John.”

“But I’m okay otherwise. A little soreness never stopped me.”

“Ha, trust me, I've heard all the stories.”

Shepard’s eyes darted towards the staircase when he thought he heard Cortez. He and Kaidan were coming back down, laughing about something.

“I should get going now. James is starting to send messages.”

“I appreciate you bringing us here,” John thanked. “Glad we could hang out a little bit at least.”

“Me too. We’ll have to plan something next time we're all back in Vancouver. I know James wanted to come. Have a good vacation, you definitely deserve it. Bye, Evelyn!” Then Cortez was leaving, returning to the shuttle so he could drive back to the Alliance offices. Kaidan sat down by his lover on the couch and the three of them took a few minutes to simply catch up.

“Are you two hungry or anything?” Evelyn asked.

John shook his head and Kaidan said, “No thanks. We grabbed lunch with Cortez in Vancouver. We had some time before John's appointment.” Just as he was about to question where everyone else was, they all heard running through the hallway and down the stairs. Shepard watched Kaidan's younger cousins from his dad's side launch themselves from the fifth step and onto the wooden floors.

That seemed to set everyone else into motion, and they came out of wherever they'd been hiding to sweep Kaidan and John into numerous conversations. Shepard knew all this family would be here but it still felt a little overwhelming after a while. He wasn't nearly as charismatic—or familiar with everyone—as Kaidan.

“Alright, time for everyone to exit the kitchen,” Evelyn announced as she ushered everyone but Kaidan's aunt and one of her nephews out. “We're going to get dinner started. See you in the dining room at seven.”

“Is there anything I can do, mom?”

“No, no. You and your husband enjoy some time together.”

John was secretly relieved. He followed Kaidan to their designated bedroom and plopped down on the bed.

“How's your leg?” Kaidan asked, sitting beside him.

“It's _fine._ ”

“No need to get snippy.”

“You've asked a hundred times since yesterday.”

“Well excuse me for being worried. It's my fault you're hurt anyways...”

John sighed. He knew how guilty Kaidan felt about it. “It really wasn't. Besides, like I told Steve— _completely_ worth it. But...we'll be more careful next time, okay?” He grabbed the older man and pulled him in for a kiss. Shepard moaned against his mouth when his back hit the mattress, the warmth of Kaidan's body hovering just above his surrounding and blanketing around him. He shivered as a hand ghosted up his side. “Kay-” he began but a thump from down the hall made them both freeze.

Kaidan chuckled sheepishly. “Uh, probably not the best time. All things considered.”

Shepard agreed and pushed himself up when Kaidan moved. The last thing he wanted was for one of Kaidan's family members to barge in on them in a compromising position. “Want to go explore outside for a while?”

“Sure, if you're up for it.”

“Maybe not a hike at this moment but some fresh air sounds nice.”

They didn't roam too far, that could be saved for a later day of the week. As John looked out at the acres of field, Kaidan briefly described the grapes this particular vineyard grew and the other types scattered across the island.

“All this grape talk is making me hungry,” John muttered, his chin resting on Kaidan's shoulder as he held him from behind.

“Heh, it's almost seven. We can head back and clean up a little before dinner.”

They were able to sneak back into their room relatively undisturbed. They took a quick shower together in the bathroom across the hall and dressed in new clothes. Shepard tried not to show it but being around Kaidan's family made him nervous. He was comfortable with Evelyn now but even that had taken some time.

But sitting at the large table with a feast before them, watching Kaidan laugh and talk with family he'd barely seen at all the last few years, it put a huge smile on Shepard's face. After the many obstacles, death-defying stunts, death itself, he was so happy to be sitting at a dinner table around a family that had accepted him into their fold—even if he did worry about embarrassing himself or saying something weird.

A few hours later, everyone started trickling off to bed. Kaidan and Shepard followed suit. They were both kind of exhausted and they needed to be up early enough to have coffee, get ready, and be at the wine tasting no later than noon.

10101010101

“Do you like wine?”

Kaidan briefly glanced up from the shirt he was ironing. He watched John pull a thin sweater over his head then refocused on his own task. “It's alright,” he said. “I'd rather have a good beer but some are better than others.”

“It all tastes the same to me,” he admitted.

“Maybe it won't after today. My mom and aunt have been talking about this for weeks.”

“Yeah, I can tell they're excited.”

Kaidan got up and wrapped his arms around Shepard's waist. John was about to say more but Kaidan silenced him with a kiss. “You ready?” he whispered.

“You're the one who's still half-naked,” John chuckled.

“I'll be ready in two minutes. You didn't put cologne on, did you?”

He frowned. “No, why?”

“Not supposed to. Interferes with people's ability to smell the wine.”

“Oh.”

“Also...you're _sure_ you can mix alcohol with your medication, right?”

Shepard rolled his eyes. “You were there. You heard him. It'll get me drunk a little faster. Maybe. That's it.”

“Just making sure.”

“Ugh, come on, put on the rest of your clothes. We're gonna be late.” John jumped a little when a hand pinched his ass but Kaidan was gone before he could retaliate, dressing and fixing his hair in just a couple minutes.

They left the house and followed the short path to the winery. Shepard looked over when a hand bumped his then Kaidan took the opportunity to grab it. It was the last peaceful moment they shared alone before stepping through the elegant double doors and into a large room already full of people.

“Looks like we're the last to come,” Shepard said.

“I always make sure you're the first to come,” Kaidan jokingly leered.

John only side-eyed him before saying, “Where should we sit?”

Kaidan glanced around but then saw his mother waving them over to a table where she and his aunt were standing. Platters of different foods were all over, as well as water and some sort of paper Shepard didn't look at. “It's almost time to start,” she said. “John, do you have a particular kind you enjoy?”

“Um...” It felt rude to come out with a direct _nope._

“It's been a long time since he's drunk,” Kaidan interrupted. “I think he'll like something more fruity but I recommend trying them all.”

He nodded. “You're the expert.”

“I'm really not,” Kaidan laughed.

Evelyn and his aunt, May had to go attend the rest of the room and John was relieved that it was just him and Kaidan for a few minutes. “Hey, what is this?” Shepard asked and pointed at the middle of the table. It was a black bucket but it had some sort of funnel fitted on top.

“Oh...that's a spittoon. You spit the wine into it after each tasting.”

John made a face. “Oh, I forgot that was a thing. Ew.”

“Ha, it's not like we're spitting it at each other.”

“It seems like a waste to spit.” Now it was John's turn to leer. “I'd much rather swallow.”

“You're lying and we both know it.”

Shepard was interrupted from saying more—thankfully—when Evelyn stood near the bar and got everyone's attention. “I'll keep this brief,” she began. “I just wanted to say how excited May and I are to finally be able to host this at the vineyard. The last few years have been grueling for the entire galaxy but thanks to some exceptionally brave people...here we are surrounded by wonderful company, about to sample some of the finest wines this side of Canada has to offer. There's nowhere I'd rather be right now so let's get started.”

She turned an eye to Shepard and winked, and he was grateful she didn't direct the room's attention at him. Everyone had the same thought, he was sure, but no more than glances and silent thank you's was spared his and Kaidan's way. This wasn't the time, he just wanted to have a nice afternoon.

John watched as everything seemed to move at once and soon someone dressed in a pressed, well-fitted outfit was pouring a pale white wine into his glass. It was made from some grape Shepard had never heard of. He' never given it much mind, but he realized there were many more kinds than he thought.

Once the server had moved on to the next table, he grabbed his glass. “You should hold it by the stem,” he heard.

“Why?”

“Because,” Kaidan said, “your hand will warm the wine and leave fingerprints. Swirl it.”

“I thought people just did that for show.”

Kaidan shrugged. “I think it releases the flavor or something.”

John shook his glass a bit but was eager to take a sip of alcohol. He was mostly fine now but with all the surgeries and multiple medications he'd needed, alcohol consumption was a rare occasion.

“Oh, oops,” Kaidan suddenly said.

“That doesn't sound good,” he chuckled.

“I think we were supposed to smell it first, then swirl, then smell again to see what flavors...scents are released. I'm not really sure.”

“You're not being a very good expert.”

“I'm not an expert!”

“Well, as long as your mom doesn't catch us breaking the rules. Or your aunt.”

“May will give us a lecture.”

Shepard glanced around and saw both women at a different table. He picked up his wine again and wondered if he'd like-

Shepard's face scrunched up when it splashed over his tongue. It tasted disgusting. He leaned over the spittoon and spit it out then grabbed the first thing on the food platter. Kaidan could only stare for a moment as his lover stuffed a sliced wedge of random cheese into his mouth.

“Are...you okay there?” the older man asked.

John gave a thumbs up as he swallowed the food. “That wasn't my favorite.”

“Yeah, I figured that out.” He grabbed John's glass and tipped the rest of the wine into it.

“Uh, sorry,” he said, remembering where he was and looking around. Everyone seemed to be absorbed in their own conversations, though he could've sworn he felt eyes on him.

Kaidan raised an eyebrow but then smiled. “I know you're weird. You realize there's water though, right?”

He rolled his eyes but opened a bottle anyways. Shepard watched Kaidan finally take a sip of his own glass. He didn't spit it out as rapidly as the commander though, instead taking his time to actually _taste_ it.

“Taste like apples,” he finally said.

“Is that a good thing?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “It's definitely _a_ thing.”

The next wine to be served was also a white and Shepard mentally prepared himself. He swirled it and looked around. He saw other people practically sticking their noses in their glasses so he held his glass up and inhaled.

“Better?” Kaidan asked.

He nodded but then smirked. “Remember that time I drank ryncol?” He heard a snort and his head whipped to the side. “Oh...hi, May.”

The older woman grinned at him. “Come over here, boys.” They grabbed their glasses and followed her to a larger table where her husband and another couple around Shepard and Kaidan's age were. John recognized one of them as his husband's cousin. He took a sip of his wine when the others did and to his surprise, he liked this one a lot more. He held it in his mouth for a few seconds before deciding to swallow it. It was only one small drink anyways and he used to be able to out drink nearly everyone—besides Wrex—on the Normandy. That this was one of the rare times in the last few years he consumed alcohol and this pain medication could _potentially_ get him buzzed faster were minuscule facts.

“You like this one better?” Kaidan asked.

“Yeah, I, uh, drank it,” he said quietly.

“We'll have you a wine expert by the end of this week, John,” May told him.

“You just might.” He glanced over when Kaidan slid the rest of his sample to him. He picked it up and drank it then pushed the glass back to Kaidan. “Thanks, babe.” He chewed on a few crackers afterwards and chatted with Kaidan's uncle who used to be a pilot in the Alliance.

It was Kaidan's mom who came to their table with the next bottle and poured it. “A lot of very careful work went into this one,” she explained. “I can't wait to get your opinion on it.”

John watched a burgundy colored liquid fall into his glass. Even if the last one was okay, he still worried one of these wines would taste like vinegar. Evelyn spoke briefly about the grape before finishing the pour with her own glass. Shepard watched everyone and mimicked their movements and when he glanced over at Kaidan, he noticed him doing the same. He smirked into his glass, enjoying that and the fact that this particular wine had an aroma of cherries. Only when the others around him started tasting did Shepard tip his glass up as well. His eyes widened a little in surprise.

“This...tastes good,” he murmured to his husband. “Really good.” He took another drink, liking the way it went down. No way was he spitting this one out. No fucking way.

“My mom's really proud of this one.”

Evelyn turned at that. “Well?”

“I love it,” Shepard said honestly.

The others around the table agreed, a couple giving a more professional opinion, but she beamed at John. “You're welcome to more. I'm pleased, I know you weren't a big fan of the first white.” She winked at him for the second time that afternoon then excused herself to talk to other guests.

“You swallowed,” Kaidan said casually.

He smiled. “I did. And I intend to swallow more.” He poured another sample about the same size as the one Evelyn poured then chatted with Kaidan's family for a few minutes. People were starting to wander about the room more and more. When his own conversation was done, his blue eyes darted around the vicinity. Nobody was really paying attention, and he was family anyways so...

Shepard helped himself to more of that red silky liquid then took a big gulp before anyone would notice how much was in his glass. For a moment he felt guilty but Evelyn had offered him more and he knew he wasn't the only one in this room not spitting. He glanced at Kaidan as the older man talked to a cousin (second cousin? Shepard couldn't remember). His hand reached for one of the food platters on the table and John took another long sip of wine as he watched Kaidan's teeth sink into a cracker.

He finished off the glass when it was time for the fourth—another red he noted. Kaidan's aunt was the one who poured everyone's tasting this time and she gave them a generous serving. While she went around the table, Shepard turned towards Kaidan and grabbed his shoulder.

“Hey,” he whispered loudly. “You wanna walk around?”

“Sure. Starting to break out of your shell?”

“My shell?” he giggled. “What am I? A peanut?”

“Oh boy...” he said as an arm wrapped around his waist. “Come on then.”

Shepard kept his arm around Kaidan as they walked. And when they settled in front of the bar, John nuzzled his cheek. “Love you, Kay,” he said happily.

“Love you too, John.”

“Oh my god, you know, I call you Kay. And my name's John. So you could call me Jay. Wouldn't that be funny? Jay and Kay, going on space adventures.”

“Hilarious. Have you been drinking extra wine?”

He chuckled. “I don't kiss and tell. Or...maybe I do. You wanna find out?” He took the glass he still held, though he'd either given up or forgotten to grasp it by the stem, and drank the contents. As he swished it around his mouth, he caught the gaze of one of the bartenders. “Hello there,” he greeted.

“Good afternoon, commander,” he greeted.

“No. Call me John. We're all friends here, yeah? Between you and me, I'm a bit new to this, and I wanted to hear your opinion on this wine. You know...as a professional.”

“Oh, of course. It's one of my favorites personally. Even though it's made from a single varietal, it has a wonderful complexity to it. This one in particular has hints of raspberry...”

Shepard, for his part, was nodding along to everything the other man was saying. “I was able to detect the raspberry as well.” Then he leaned in like he had a secret or something. “Say I was wondering something else. Does gurgling wine actually do anything?”

The bartender smiled. “Well, this is a younger red and it...could benefit from the added oxygen.”

“And how does one gurgle properly?”

“John-” Kaidan started.

“It's quite alright. If you'd really like, I can demonstrate.”

Kaidan contemplated burying his face in his hands but he didn't want to miss the sight of Shepard trying to gurgle the wine. He started laughing, which broke John's concentration. The commander quickly swallowed his mouthful before he laughed as well.

“Stop, Kay,” he whined. “I'm trying to be a wine connoisseur”

“Would you like another sample?” the bartender asked.

“Hell yeah.”

When he held the bottle towards Kaidan questioningly, he sighed then slid his glass forward. “Cheers!” John said before they lightly clinked their glasses together.

Shepard had already lost track of what number they were on when the next wine was served. Evelyn had also decided to find them again.

“Having a good time, mom?” Kaidan asked her.

She nodded. “It's going smoothly, I'm a little buzzed, I get to see my family—especially my two boys. This afternoon is fantastic. How about you two? John, you doing okay?”

He smiled wide and nodded. “That one you gave us...that was good. My favorite. I, uh, had a little extra. I hope you don't mind, even though you did offer me more. I like the cherry flavor from the pin, pinot...uh, the peanut nor grapes.” He completely ignored the murmured 'oh my god' from Kaidan. “I can see why you were eager for us to try it. It was good. This is good. I'm having a good time.”

“I'm glad. And you, Kay?”

He hesitated just a moment before mentally saying 'fuck it' and telling her, “It's a good afternoon.”

Shepard slung an arm around Kaidan's shoulders and pointed at him. “Y'know Kay, this reminds me of that one time we went to Purgatory. Remember the elevator? And that turian bartender that gave us those carr-”

 _“John,”_ he said a little too loudly. “Maybe we should talk about something _else._ ”

He giggled and kissed Kaidan's cheek. “That was a fun elevator ride.” Shepard was completely oblivious to Kaidan's expression and the fact the older man currently wanted to disappear into the floor. Evelyn looked rather amused at her son's embarrassment.

Just as John was going to say something, most likely an inappropriate joke of some sort, Evelyn interrupted him as an older gentleman approached them. “Oh, John, you haven't met my uncle. This is Roger, and this-”

“Of course I know who this is,” he chuckled heartily. “An honor to finally meet you in person! I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding.”

Whether Roger realized just how drunk John was or simply didn't care, Kaidan wasn't sure. But after mentioning the Citadel, the conversation took a rapid turn towards that one time Shepard was almost in a Blasto vid. A few people were around them by the time John yelled, “And then I called him a big stupid jellyfish! It was like something straight out of a vid!”He flailed his arms out with the intention of shooting the air with finger guns. But instead of hitting imaginary obnoxious hanar, his elbow crashed into actual flesh.

He gasped as chilled liquid spilled onto him and absorbed into his sweater. He didn't even need to move to see that it was Kaidan he accidentally knocked into. “Fuck, I'm sorry, Kay,” he apologized but the other man hushed him.

“It's alright. Just...you should change. It's all over you.”

He nodded and eagerly waved bye to everyone. “Are you coming with me, Kay?”

“Yeah, I'll be outside in a sec.” John walked out alone, squinting for a few moments as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight. As soon as Kaidan joined him, a couple water bottles in hand, he grabbed his hand and let him lead the way. “Sorry. Did you get any wine on you?”

“I don't think so. Here, drink some water.”

“I liked this sweater too...” he grumbled, taking a large swig.

“Fighting hanar is messy business.”

“I'll say.”

Kaidan led a clingy John back to the house and up the stairs through the hallway. Once in the room, he untangled Shepard's limbs from himself and sat him on the bed. “Come on, let's get your sweater off.” The only thing Shepard did was stick his arms up. Kaidan rolled his eyes then grabbed the hem of the sweater and shirt underneath to lift them off. He sighed as he hung the clothing on the back of a chair to dry. He had liked that sweater too. Once Shepard was bare chested, he dug through an unpacked suitcase but heard giggling as he did so.

“What's so funny over?”

“I'm on to you, Kaidan.”

As he stood and walked over to him with a t-shirt in hand, he swore he saw a sparkle in John's eyes. “Oh yeah? About what?”

“This was all just a ploy to get me naked.”

“Yeah, yeah, you caught me. Arms up.” Shepard made it difficult as he purposely wiggled around but Kaidan managed to get the fabric over his head.

“Think some wine got on my pants too,” John cooed.

Kaidan raised a strong eyebrow...but then agreed. Shepard leaned back on his hands and watched his husband first untie his shoes then unzip his pants. Once he was sitting in just his gray t-shirt and galaxy patterned underwear, he lurched forward and yanked Kaidan off balance. They each grunted as he toppled onto John on the bed and for a moment he regretted the entire idea. But then Kaidan's warm whiskey eyes met his, the same way their lips were meeting a few seconds later.

“Lay down with me, Kay,” he breathed. He raised his head when Kaidan sat up and he watched him strip out of his stiff clothing. He climbed on the bed, laying on his back.

“Come here.”

Shepard rolled himself over. His head settled on Kaidan's chest, an arm around his waist, and he sighed softly as they both relaxed. Kaidan ran his fingers through John's short hair, glad he recently decided to let it grow past its usual buzz cut. He loved the way it felt against his hands.

“No one's gonna barge in here looking for us, right?”

“You mean my mom? No, she knows how drunk you are.”

“Hey, I'm not _that_ drunk,” he argued.

“Mhm, of course not.”

Shepard ignored him, closing his eyes and focusing on Kaidan's soft breathing as they lay together. Kaidan's hand eventually moved from brushing his hair to tracing light patterns across John's back.

It wasn't Shepard's original intention to fall asleep but with the way they were laying, it inevitably happened. He wasn't sure how long he was out, a few minutes or maybe an hour, but he woke up warm and with Kaidan's arms still around him. He shifted a little to stretch his leg and heard Kaidan wake up.

“Hey,” he murmured.

“Hey, Jay.”

He grinned and hid his face against Kaidan's face for a moment. “Waking up like this kinda reminds me of a few years ago. After a certain night of drunken shenanigans.”

“Mhm. Except there's no beer bottles scattered about. And I wasn't drunk this time around.”

“Were you at least buzzed or did I make a complete ass of myself alone?”

“Yes. Both of those answers are yes.”

He chewed on his lip a little before rolling onto his stomach so he could look at Kaidan better. “Um...are you...mad? I didn't mean for that...” A warm laugh cut him off.

“You're amusing and clingy when buzzed. I'm just...I hope you had fun. It's nice to see you relaxed. Besides, it's _you_ who has to live with any embarrassment.”

“Pfft, I'm the guy whose friends still tease him about crashing through a fish tank. I'm sure I'll feel fine. But...okay. I didn't mean for that to happen. I'll talk to your mom later.”

“She was amused, I promise. But next time? Just spit the damn wine and I'll get you a bottle for later,” he said and lightly poked John in the ribs.

“Okay, okay. But seriously, do get a bottle of that red one. You know, for our own private party.”

“Don't you worry. I already told Mom we wanted some. You ready to head back down yet or no?”

“In a few minutes,” he murmured, settling back against his husband. He felt lips in his hair as he re-closed his eyes. “Hey, did you really spill that wine on me on purpose?”

“Yes. But uh, let's just pretend it was an excuse to get you naked in bed.”

Shepard huffed and wanted to complain but he let it go. As long as this incident didn't turn into another fish tank incident, he was perfectly fine with where he was.


End file.
